IAEA Upbeat, but Niigata Governor Delays Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Restart

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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station on February 18. Located in Niigata Prefecture, it is one of the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear facilities. After touring the station, Grossi declared that preparations had reached the stage where the facility was ready to restart operations.

Also, on February 18, Japan's 7th Strategic Energy Plan was approved at a Cabinet meeting. Nuclear power generation is a main pillar of that plan.

Grossi said he was convinced that TEPCO had made great progress in ensuring safety and nuclear security. Coming from the head of an international organization whose mission is the peaceful use of nuclear energy, his timely message should be taken seriously.

Timid Beyond Caution

Reactors 6 and 7 of the nuclear power station have been shut down since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. They have now passed safety inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. Furthermore, Reactor No 7 completed the fuel loading process in April 2024. Nevertheless, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has not yet given his consent, which is necessary for the reactor to restart.

Governor Hanazumi's cautious stance may be motivated by his desire to gauge prefecture residents' sentiment on the restart. However, he is taking far too much time to make his decision.

After all, Niigata's own technical committee has been independently verifying the safety measures at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station. It also submitted a report to the governor on February 12, stating that most of the 22 items confirmed to date have shown no problems.

*IAEA Director General Grossi (second from right) inspects the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station in a snowstorm in Kariwa Village, Niigata Prefecture, on February 18. (©Sankei by Kenichi Honda)*

Moving National Energy Policy Forward

The No 7 reactor at the nuclear power station is a state-of-the-art, advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) with improved structural safety. With an output of 1.356 million kilowatts, it has one of the largest generating capacities in Japan. Restarting that reactor would also ease power supply pressures in the Tokyo region. Meanwhile, problems at thermal power plants, cold waves, and extreme heat threaten the capital's functions.

Furthermore, the restart would help improve TEPCO's business situation. In turn, that will directly contribute to supporting the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It will also support the reconstruction of nearby areas affected by the 2011 disaster.

Some question why Niigata residents should support restarting nuclear power stations in Niigata when they would produce electricity used elsewhere. But isn't that a narrow-minded way of looking at things? Will they also ignore the calls from the local city of Kashiwazaki and village of Kariwa for the early restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station? These two communities are the local governments in the prefecture with the closest connection to the nuclear power facilities.

This is the age of heavy energy-using artificial intelligence. Offering the availability of nuclear power as a stable, carbon-free energy source is essential for attracting new businesses.

We urge Governor Hanazumi to make a forward-looking decision. That requires taking into account both the interests in Niigata Prefecture and Japan's national interests. In turn, this requires considering the international situation regarding energy security.